Latch.



W. H. WHITTIER.

LATCH.

APPLlCATION FILED APR.13V. I914.

1,140,553. Patented May 25, 1915 of the figures;

"oase to limit WALTER H. WHI'ITIEB, OE GRAND RAPIDS,

EEFRIGERATOE, COMYANY, 0F GRAND MICHIGAN.

s reens entran s earths,

MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO GRAND RAPIDS RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF "LATCH.

Specification of Letters Iiatent.

Appication filed April 13, 1914.. Serial No. 831,529.

tains to make and usethe same.

This invention relates to improvements in latches, and more particularly to door latches for refrigerator doors and the like, and its ObjQCl; 18 to provide a latch which ii'hen engagecl will exert a constant tension to maintain the door tightly closed which may be easily latched and unlatchecl; which {will be simple in construction and operation,

and to provide the device with various new and useful features hereinafter more fully describeo. and particularly pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l. is a section of aportion of a door antl asing, with the improved latch applied thereto. said section being taken on the line ll of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 22 of Fig. 1. showing the latch engaged; and Fig. 3 shows the same parts as Fig. 2, and illustrates the method of ills-engaging the latch.

Like numbers refer to like parts in all 1 represents a hinged door and 2 a door casing.

3 is a rigiil arm projecting from a base -'i attache-:1 to the iloor. The arm 3 is ad: pterl to en,. -'1 c retaining rollers iS mounted on the respective ci'sfls of a vwring which spring is fastened to the casing .2. the said spring to yielrlably force the rollers 6 toward ear other. The arm 3 with omics telv incline-(l inner surfaces which incl in an acute angle at the inner ei'lgc and with inclined outer surfaces which meet in an ohruse angle at the outer edge harming opposing" "Wedge portions successively engaged hy the rollers,

A lover T is pivoted in the hituriatecl ex tension of the base 4- aml proviilerl with a stop shoulder 7 vii ch engages the. said. the move-nu. ol' the lever toward the cloor. The lever extends over the arm 3 and. is there provided with a reis provided leasing portion'fi) having oppositely inclined surfaces acla ned to engage the rollers 3 anti separate them to release the arm.

A housing 10 surrounds the spring 5 and retaining rollers '6 and is provided with an opening 11 to admitthe arm 3 and the releasing portion 9 of the lever 4-.

Potential May 25, 1915.

In operating this latch, when the door is i being closed its momentum will cause the acuteangled wedge shaped sill of the arm 3 to pass between the retaining rollers 6 forcing the same apart, and the rollers will engage the obtuse angled inclined outer snrfaces of saitl arm, and owing to the tendency of the spring 5 to force the rollers toward each other they will exert a constant inward pressure on the outer obtuse Wedge of said arm to force the door to tightly closed position. To disengage the latch. the lever l is Y pullecl outward, which moves the releasing portion. 9 toward thearm 0 anti. its inner oppositely inclined surfaces will separate the rollers 6, releasing the arm, disengaging the latch {1116i at the same time operating as'a lever to force the door open by pressure against the rollers. it is obvious that this device is desirable, both from the stanclpoint of eiliciency, simplicity of operation and cheapness of construction.

What I claim is:

l. A latch, comprising an arm adapted to be attached to a door and having oppositely inclined inner and outer s, -riccs retaining members yiel'lably forced toward each other and adapted to he attached to a door casing and, a. lever opposite the arm having oppositely inclined surfaces to engage and separate the retaining members.

2; A latch, comprising igid arm adapte& to be attachecl to a i or retaining momhers yiehlably forced toward each other, means for attaching the same to a floor casing, and a pivoted .lovcr opposite the arm having oppositely inclined inner surfaces to separate said retaining members and release the arm.

3. A latch, comprising an arm, means for rigidly attaching th same to a door, said arm hav ng inclined inner and outer oppositely inclined surfaces, retaining "embers ricltlahly forced toward each other. 'zneans for attachin f the same to a (ioor casing gain members being separated by theaiinei "inclineclsurfaces of the arm' and engaging bers being separated by the inner inclined surfaces oiv the arm and engaging the outer surfaces thereof,- and. a, lever pivo'tally attached to thedoor and having one end serving as a handle for manually opening and. closin the door and the other end having oppositely inclined surfaces to engage and I separate said retainingmembers.

5. A door latch, comprising a base adepted to be attached to a door, an arm projecting therefrom, said arm having oppositely inclined inner and outer surfaces, retaining orollers journalecl on the respective ends of a, spring adopted to be atteoheclto acasing and yieldably moving the rollers toward each other, said rollers being separated by ing rollers oppositely nieo ese the innerinclined surfeoee of the engagingthe outer inclined; surfaces the: and a lever pivoted intermediate itsendeto;

1 said base. one of its ends seriiin as'afh'andleii ror a door and the other end wing 12- re,-

leasing portion with. oppositely inclined our. faces by which the'said rollers may be sepa re'tecl to release the arm.

6. A door letcheomprising afrigid ur'ni having an acute inner angle and opposing inclined inner surfaces, an obtuse outer angle and opposed inclined outer surfpow v e pivoted le'ver having one end servingjlo handle and the other end extending part1 v with said arm and provided with an innei angle opposite the arm and oppositely ins 'clined inner surfaces, and a spring cor engaging all of said inclined surfaces in succession. r fi In testimony whereof I efiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WALTER H, WHITTIEB.

Witnesses:

Pnmme A. J 01m,- MAE RANKIN. 

